Storm
by Hazelstar67
Summary: Time and again there are prophecies, calling forth great cats to accomplish even greater things. But time and again, they are given to the cats of ThunderClan. So when Mistystar is given a prophecy that may or may not affect RiverClan's future, what is she supposed to believe? That a RiverClan cat has finally been picked to make a difference? A great storm is coming… Prepare.
1. Prologue

_The Warriors series does not belong to me. So far, I have not been able to convince those making up the Erin Hunter name to let me in. Never fear, I shall break them soon..._

Prologue

The sun was at its highest point in its daily journey across the sky. Warm light lit all, cold and shadows nowhere to be found. Mistystar padded across the soft green grass, looking around in awe. It wasn't her first time seeing StarClan, but every time she came she was filled with wonder. She looked up at the clear sky, watching for storm clouds she knew would never come.

"Mistystar," A familiar purr greeted Mistystar's ears and she turned to see a golden tabby making her way across the lush fields. Her heart lurched and she bounded to her friend and predecessor. It had been moons since she had seen Leopardstar in her dreams. They met and brushed pelts, then separated, eye to eye, "It's been quite a while."

"You look so healthy," Mistystar noted, eyes flicking over the sleek she-cat, "The last I saw you, you were- you were-"

"On my last life, I know," Leopardstar bowed her head and didn't meet Mistystar's icy gaze. She began to pace, ears flattened to her head. Her nervousness was making Mistystar anxious, wondering what could have the strong she-cat so worried in such a beautiful place, "I'm afraid I don't come baring good news. Just a warning. A- A prophecy."

Mistystar pricked her ears up. It had been a while since RiverClan had a prophecy. How bad could this prophecy be, one that had Leopardstar so spooked? "Than by all means, let me hear it. How bad is it? Can you give me any-" The she-cat broke off. Leopardstar had taken a step forwards, meeting her old friend's eyes once more.

"A great storm is coming..." Leopardstar spoke with the voices of many cats, leaders whose voices Mistystar vaguely recognized. There were the voices of RiverClan ancestors who went far back, cats in old stories like Crookedstar and Hailstar, "Prepare…"

"A storm is coming?" Mistystar mewed incredulously, "I know that! The storm clouds have hung over RiverClan for days. That was the prophecy?"

The other cat gave no answer. The entire world slipped from under Mistystar's feet and she fell into darkness, away from the cheerful light of StarClan.

_StarClan wants me to know that a storm is coming? Are they all going mouse-brained? _Mistystar pulled herself to her paws and shook her pelt. Dampness pressed her fur to her body, making her look even thinner than she was already. She could tell without straining her ears that a constant assault of raindrops was hitting the earth outside. She squeezed her eyes closed, just wanting to sink back into unconsciousness. Rainy days always got into her bones, bringing the feeling that she had aged way beyond her years.

"Mistystar," Mistystar raised her head, watching as a black tom rushed into her den. His pelt was drenched, but he didn't seem to notice. RiverClan cats didn't let water effect their duties. Instead, they relished the feeling of cool liquid against their skin, "Mistystar, Icewing is having her kits!" The warrior's eyes were lit from the inside, a warm glow of love and excitement taking over his body.

"That's fantastic Reedwhisker," Mistystar forced herself to move and joined her deputy's side, "Come on, you should be with her. She's going to need you for support." That was enough for the tom. He bounded off without another word, leaving Mistystar to chuckle behind him. She padded slowly, wincing as the rain first touched her pelt. Rain water was completely different than river water. River water was a constant stream, smooth and silky. Rain was individual droplets, spray that could pound into you so violently it felt like it was trying to drill into your bones.

_So there is a storm. It is a mighty storm to be sure, but nothing we need to prepare for. RiverClan has always stood strong against all enemies. Water can never shake the morale of any RiverClan cat. StarClan, I pray you know what you're doing._ Mistystar bent her head against the constant downpour. Her paws were covered in thick mud, nothing unusual, but definitely not the best feeling to wake up to.

The determined she-cat fixed her gaze on the nest of brambles and pricked her ears. It was no use thinking of a confusing dream when there were new cries of life in the air. Mistystar gathered her strength and bounded the last few hare-lengths, pushing her way into the crowded nursery. The scene greeting her eyes was a heartwarming one.

Icewing lay exhausted on her side, staring lovingly at the three kits snuggled close. Reedwhisker stood above his kin, protecting them from any danger. The other queen was curled in the corner of the nursery. Two kits were held behind her, trying to catch a glimpse of the newborns.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Mistystar turned her head towards the dappled golden she-cat in the corner. The medicine cat dipped her head and continued, "A she-kit and two toms. All wonderfully healthy additions to the clan."

"Almost as gorgeous as my own kits," Mistystar teased gently. She saw Icewing turn a wary eye on her and mewed, "Did you think of names?"

"Yes," Icewing turned her loving gaze back on her three young kits. All three squirmed to get their mother's milk, none paying the slightest bit of attention to their surroundings, "The female, the golden one, her name is Hailkit. The little black tom will be Thunderkit," Mistystar winced at the thought of a kit with a name of another Clan, but said nothing. Icewing had obviously put thought into these names. She seemed not to notice her leader's discomfort as she continued, turning her gaze on the biggest of the three kits, "And the grey one here, he is my little Stormkit."

StarClan's words replayed in Mistystar's mind as she peered down at the last kit. His fur was as grey as the storm clouds above, rustled and untamed like the very things that brought water to their camp. She couldn't help but bristle, wondering exactly what the prophecy meant, "You're destined for great things little one," She murmured softly, "You have a long path ahead of you."

**A/N- First warriors fanfic that I've posted as of yet... Woo! I actually wrote the prologue a while back and just left it for a bit, not thinking there would be any interest. Now I'm back, I have several ideas that I'm pretty happy about, and I kind of love the characters. The next chapter might be in a POV you're not expecting (because I'm certainly not sticking with Mistystar the whole time XD). Chapter One will be out soon!**

**I'd love to know what you thought, so feel free to leave me thoughts and critiques.**


	2. Chapter 2

_Until further notice, the Warriors series belongs to Erin Hunter and not moi. For now. Enjoy the story regardless, I will be viciously working on having the rights switched over to me._

Chapter One- A Swim

"Thunderkit!" Thunderkit woke to the ever-present whine of his littermate's voice. He tried to ignore it, snuggling closer to the warm fur of his mother. On one side was the comfort and softness that only Icewing could bring. On the other, there was only a stale breeze and the nagging feeling he could be attacked at any time. Sure enough, a few seconds after his name was called, a paw found its way into his side, "Come on, Thunderkit! Get up! We wanna play!"

The tiny tom just squeezed his eyes tighter closed and pressed further into his mother's pelt. There was no way he would let anyone shake him out of a perfectly good cat-nap. Fearing another jab, he mewed sleepily, "No. Play without me. I wanna sleep!"

"Come on Stormkit, leave him. He doesn't want to play anyways," Hailkit's voice sounded faint and bored, "You're just going to spend half the day trying to wake him up. We could be playing with Curlkit and Podkit."

Even with his eyes closed and sleep only a hare-length away, Thunderkit could tell his brother was making a face, "They aren't fun, not like Thunderkit. Come ON lazy-bones! You've been sleeping ever since you came out!"

Thunderkit felt sleep slipping further and further away with every word, but he couldn't help but argue, "Not true! Ever since I first opened my eyes, you were always on me to play with you! I've played StarClan versus Dark Forest, RiverClan versus Rogues, and almost every other kind of pairing you could think of! So, just this once, can I just sleep? Please?"

A sudden silence met his words, a complete surprise, and then Stormkit let out what sounded like a defeated huff. Thunderkit felt of bubble of hope well up inside of him as he settled closer to Icewing, enjoying the peace and quiet. Quiet. It was _too _quiet. Thunderkit's eyes shot open just in time to see a tousled grey pelt baring down on him.

The two fought, rolling away from the sleeping queens. Thunderkit tried to bat Stormkit away, but the tom quickly had him pinned. After a few pants, Stormkit narrowed his eyes and pressed his nose to Thunderkit's to ask, "Are you sleepy now?"

Thunderkit took a second to respond. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, excitement bubbling despite his attempts to keep it down. His muscles strained under Stormkit, wanting to twist him off, but knowing the young cat was too strong. No matter how hard he tried, he could never match Stormkit's strength.

The fact was only one reason he was jealous of his brother, but he would never admit it. Stormkit had a big enough head as it was, he would probably love to lord it over his brother if he ever heard that he was jealous. It wasn't to say he wasn't humble- He just often got over-inflated at the smallest compliment, "Not now that you've almost ripped my head off! I guess I'll play."

Hailkit, perched near the opening, gave a long sigh of both built-up frustration and relief. She took a careful pawstep towards the light trickling in, "Great, we can finally go out. Podkit and Curlkit have been up since dawn patrol left this morning!"

Stormkit ignored his sister's whines. He looked down at Thunderkit, blue eyes sparkling mischievously. He leapt off, letting the dark tom twist and get to his paws wearily. A flicker of concern was evident when Thunderkit began to rasp his tongue over his sore shoulder and he pressed his pelt to his littermate comfortingly, "I would never hurt your purposely, you know that, right? You're my brother."

Thunderkit bit back a snide remark, seeing that Stormkit meant what he said. He turned his tongue to his brother's ear and instead teased lightly, "It will take more than just a tackle to hurt me. You should know, I've been way ore battered during our Rogue versus Clan games. Maybe if _I_ ever got to play the RiverClan warrior-"

"Enough with your brotherly chat, let's go!" The golden she-kit interrupted impatiently, shifting her weight as she waited for them. Hailkit was a true outdoor cat. She wasn't happy unless she was doing something, productive or otherwise. She rolled her eyes at her siblings and muttered, "You two should just start gossiping, then no one would be able to tell you apart from Minnowtail and Petalfur."

"Hey," Thunderkit padded over to bat at his sister lightly, holding back a playful 'mrow', "Are you calling us gossipy old she-cats?" Hailkit nodded quickly and batted back, a small purr starting in her throat. Thunderkit opened his mouth to begin an argument, but Stormkit interrupted.

"You're right, we should go out. And I have the PERFECT plan!" Stormkit cut in front of his siblings and led them out of the nursery. He was used to being in charge of his kin. Although Hailkit and Thunderkit protested at the beginning, they had quickly learned to let the hot-headed male get his way.

They stayed silent as they passed a tussling Curlkit and Podkit, then again as they reached the furthest outreaches of their typical play-area. It wasn't until the small group stopped in front of the apprentice den that Hailkit summoned enough courage to ask, "So what are we doing here?"

"Swimming," Stormkit said simply, settling down as if he were waiting for something. Hailkit and Thunderkit exchanged a concerned glance. Swimming? Had Stormkit lost what little sense he had?

"Stormkit," Thunderkit managed to mew out weakly, "We aren't swimming, we're sitting in front of the apprentice den. In camp. Are you feeling alright?" Stormkit merely scoffed and waved his tail, intent on staring into the shadows of the den.

"You don't understand," He said after a few seconds of awkward silence, his tail twitching indignantly, "Mossypaw promised shed help us."

Again the kit's shared a look. After a silent back-and-forth, Hailkit sighed and questioned, "And Mossypaw promised to help us with what exactly?"

Stormkit took his eyes off the den and sighed, as if it were the simplest concept to understand, "I asked her to teach us how to swim. I like playing with Podkit and Curlkit, but sometimes I just want to _do _something, you know? So, anyways, Mossypaw agreed to help out. Bet you precious _Podkit _can't brag that he did that!"

Hailkit's eyes lit up. She darted to the entrance and peeked in, hissing, "Well why didn't you say so sooner? Where is she?! Let's get going already!"

"I'm here, I'm here," The brown-and-white shecat called from behind Thunderkit, making him jump. She smelled of the dirtplace, he noticed as he backed away, and amusement played in her eyes. She straightened, eyes searching the three kits as she mewed, "So, you still want to see the lake?"

"More than anything!" Hailkit bounced excitedly, "That would be the coolest thing ever!" She began to walk ahead of the apprentice, eyes set on the direction of the lake, "Come on, slow pokes. Pick up your paws already."

Mossypaw shook her head in amusement, following the small figure ahead of her, "You know, I shouldn't even be doing this, but you sounded like you really wanted this Stormkit. It was like you really had your heart set on it."

"That's because I did!" Stormkit struggled to catch up to Mossypaw, whose long strides had long since passed Hailkit. He passed his littermate, earning a glare that he cheerfully ignored, "I would want to go swimming even it was pouring!" In his excitement, he caught a burst of speed and even passed Mossypaw. A light purr was building up, even reaching Thunderkit's perked ears.

"Well, I'd swim even if it was snowing!" Hailkit raced forwards again, this time joining Mossypaw's side. She twitched her tail and boasted, "I'd swim even if I couldn't see the water in front of me!"

"That's called night," Thunderkit rolled his eyes at his sibling's theatrics, watching Stormkit stumble over a loose rock in his pursuit to get to the lake and then stepping nimbly over it himself.

"But Hailkit's right," Stormkit pulled himself to his paws, eyes glowing with an unexpected dedication, "Part of being a RiverClan cat is being able to swim. No other Clans can swim. You're not a full RiverClan cat until you've gotten your paws wet."

Mossypaw drew to a stop with a surprised purr. The other three clustered around her, hoping she'd say something special, "You may be fur-brained Stormkit," Two pairs of envious eyes flashed to the tiny tom, "But you sure can say some smart stuff." Mossypaw paused to sigh when Stormkit got distracted by a dragonfly, "Anyways, you're right. That's why I'm taking you out. Every kit sneaks off to swim at some point. Me showing you around seemed like a better alternative than you going alone.

_Or you could have just let us explore ourselves,_ Thunderkit thought bitterly, paws itching to get moving again. He might not be as impatient as his littermates, but he definitely couldn't wait much longer. He nudged Stormkit back to reality and began to follow the well-worn path to the lake, in hopes Mossypaw would notice and begin to lead them once more.

"Once we pass those reeds," Mossypaw's voice came from behind and Thunderkit turned to see her gesture to the right with her tail, "The lake will be right in front of us. You can see EVERYTHING from there. The whole lake, of course, and all the other Clans. It's really an amazing sight."

"I can tell we're getting close," Hailkit whined from besides Thunderkit, "The ground is getting all muddy." Thunderkit looked down in surprise. In his hurry, he hadn't noticed the growing level of difficulty in picking up his paws and the cool layer of mud tickling his soft underbelly.

"Just through these reeds here?" Stormkit had already bounded through the mud, like the unfamiliar footing hadn't fazed him. He pushed his head between the growth and meowed something else. Thunderkit pricked his ears and strained enough that he picked up a soft, "Wow!" before the tom disappeared from view.

Hailkit pricked her ears as well, forcing herself forwards. She wasn't one to be out-done by her brother. She was always competitive, always desperate to prove herself to her brothers and her elders. Thunderkit watched her golden pelt disappear into the reeds, following Stormkit to the lake.

A sudden feeling of fear struck Thunderkit. For the first time, he let himself wonder what would happen if he couldn't swim. Would they send him to ThunderClan, the Clan that shared his name? Would he be force to pad over dry soil in shame, lost within thick trees forever? How could he face his father, Reedwhisker?

"You're going to be fine," Thunderkit's heart jumped and he turned to watch Mossypaw press her pelt against his. Her eyes were full of kindness and understanding, "Your parents are the two best swimmers in the Clan. Anyways, you don't have to be perfect your first time."

The words soothed Thunderkit more than he would like to admit. Still, to save his pride, he mewed quickly, "I wasn't afraid. I-I was stuck!" Mossypaw snorted and Thunderkit mimed pulling his hind leg out of the mud, "I'm fine now." He pushed forwards before she could say anything more and followed in his sibling's pawsteps, at last pushing his way through the reeds.

There were thick stalks that blocked much of Thunderkit's view, but he could make out the gleam of sunlight bouncing off a glassy surface. It took all of the strength in his little body to press through the reeds, but now adrenaline was fueling his endeavors. Thunderkit made his way through the last of the reeds and found himself looking at the largest body of water he had ever seen.

"Just look at it," Hailkit was in the same awestruck position, barely even out of the long shadow of the cattail's, "There's so much water… It's so big and blue!"

Thunderkit could only manage a nod. His eyes were on the other side of the lake, straining to see the different territories. He could almost see movement near where he guessed Wind Clan was, perhaps a patrol checking the borders. To think they were all connected by the lake- _their_ lake- blew his mind.

Stormkit was already batting at the lakes edge, racing away as the water gently rose, then darting in closer as it sank. He raised his eyes as if he could feel his brother staring, then gestured him over with his tail, "Come on!" He called, "It's fun! I call it rise-'n-fall!"

Hailkit rolled her eyes, but Thunderkit raced over. He got just close enough to the water's edge that he could feel the water left over from the last wave, then turned and sped off as it came rushing back. The mad dash away brought up excited goosebumps under Thunderkit's pelt, a tingling that he had only enjoyed once before when a WindClan warrior had been in their camp, "That was fun!"

"You have to do it more than once, mouse-brain," Stormkit purred, again chasing the water in, "It's not a game unless you do it continually!" Thunderkit twitched his ears, but followed Stormkit's lead back towards the water.

"Toms!" Hailkit snorted from Mossypaw's side, "Playing when we could be swimming." She ran her tongue over her paw and swiped it over her ears daintily, though her eyes followed their movements in a close longing.

Stormkit seemed to sense his sister's hesitation and stopped his movement. He dipped his tail in the lake, then pulled it out again, dripping wet. His eyes glimmered mischievously as he flicked his tail towards Hailkit, creating a rainbow spray of water droplets heading for her pelt. Thunderkit screeched to a stop and watched, already trying to hide his amusement.

Hailkit bristled as the liquid hit her fur. Her head swung towards the two and her eyes burned with a sudden fierceness. She seemed to fix on Stormkit's sopping tail and she growled a warning, "You are CROWFOOD, Stormkit!" The tiny she-kit launched herself at her brother, knocking into him and sending the pair of them spiraling into the water.

Thunderkit hid an amused purr when Stormkit broke the surface, then again when the tom's sopping face was thrust up, gasping for air. "First step in learning how to swim," He called, "Looking like a mouse-brain!"

Stormkit's eyes narrowed, then glimmered. Thunderkit knew _that _look. He began to creep through the water, eyes fixed on Thunderkit, "But I'm really vicious RiverClan warrior," He began, coming closer and closer, "Only flailing around to make you, a vicious ShadowClan warrior, believe I'm oblivious. When really, I could attack at any time!" He launched at Thunderkit, body heavy with water.

Thunderkit tried to bat Stormkit off, but the darker tom was determined. All Thunderkit could manage was to nip lightly at his brother's ear, then to roll out from under him. He felt the ground beneath him tilting, gravity tugging him straight for the lake.

He hit the water with a light 'splash'. He sunk down to the bottom, kicking up silt as he did so. The water was quick to trickle beneath his protective layer of fur, soaking him and making his body appear sleek. Thunderkit paused for a second underwater, peering through the cloud of dirt floating lazily, a remnant of his hasty entrance. He could just barely make out the lithe figure of Hailkit, treading water awkwardly. Nearer, closer to land, were four little paws. Thunderkit figured it was most likely Stormkit, peering into the water to locate his sibling.

Thunderkit felt his lungs complaining, desperate for a fresh breath. He pressed against the soft bottom and gained enough momentum to break through the layer of water. He stayed a minute, drinking in gulp after gulp of precious air. Then, he took a few steps forwards so he was in the shallowest section and shook stray water droplets off his pelt.

From the shore, Mossypaw was purring in amusement. She fixed the three sopping kits in her gaze and mrowed quickly, "Well, that's ONE way to get in. Congratulations, you've all experience water without drowning. Your first lesson in swimming is over." The young apprentice began to walk away slowly, leaving the kits behind her to gape at her retreating form.

"Wait!" Hailkit scrambled back to the shore, "That can't be all! Please, you have to show us something more. We didn't get to do _anything._"

The brown-and-white cat seemed to hesitate. It dawned on Thunderkit that she was just acting, being overly dramatic to mess with them. Mossypaw whirled and twitched her tail, pulling herself into a thoughtful position," Well," She said, painfully slowly, "I _suppose_ I'll help you out. Just so you don't get into trouble."

Mossypaw broke into a run and splashed into the water, spraying mist everywhere. Once in, she was smooth and sleek as a fish. Mossypaw disappeared underwater for longer than Thunderkit could ever think possible, then finally came up for air. She seemed completely at ease in the water.

"What's the first step?" Hailkit pressed eagerly, "Will you teach us to dive? Or catch fish? Or-"

"Your first step," Mossypaw interrupted, giving Hailkit a quick, one-eyed glare, "Is learning how to keep you head above water when you're in deeper waters. To do this, all you have to do is keep your paws moving, churning water. You can't move your limbs too frantically or you'll use up too much energy and get tired more quickly. This is called treading water, and it's one of the most important skills to know."

The apprentice demonstrated and then let the three anxious kits try. Thunderkit waded into the slightly deeper water, water that tickled his chin. He folded his legs beneath him and, for a moment, was flailing. Then Mossypaw's words came back to him and Thunderkit began treading water. Overjoyed, the young tom looked from side to side. Hailkit was treading water perfectly. Under her breath, Thunderkit could just make out her muttering, "Tread water. Not too frantically. Tread water." He snorted and swung his head to the other side. His heart lurched. Where he should have seen Stormkit, there was nothing but clear, glassy water.

Panic filled Thunderkit and he propelled himself through the water, paws working like the motor in one of the Two-Leg monsters that sailed on their lake at times. His tiny heart was racing, each beat combining until there was almost a constant stream of pounding filling his ears.

"Stormkit?" He yowled, peering down into the clouded water beneath him. He was beginning to kick up silt off the bottom, limbs flailing erratically. There was no trace of the mischievous tom, not a single paw or tail stick out of the water.

Fear was bubbling inside of Thunderkit, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He opened his mouth to again let out a desperate cry, but was stopped as movement pressed against his hind leg. He froze, slowly turning his head down to peer into the dark, watery abyss.

Thunderkit searched with only a pawful of hesitation, fearing that there was something lurking below that had swallowed up his kin. Again there was the unearthly feeling of a sleek body pressing against his. Before he had time to let out a helpless howl, something hooked upon his forepaw and yanked him underneath the icy waves.

The first few seconds underwater were full of terror and blind thrashing. Then, instinct took over and Thunderkit felt himself calming. He opened his eyes to search his surroundings. Nothing but murky water met his first sweep. As he began to slowly turn, it became evident that there was something else underwater with him.

First all Thunderkit could make out was an outline, then a pair of bright eyes, then finally a mischievous face. As the dust finally cleared, Thunderkit was left face to face with Stormkit.

Thunderkit let out an angry growl that quickly transformed into a stream of bubbles. Stormkit held his tail straight up and down, then dove to the side. Thunderkit watched him as he slowly exhaled, wondering if his littermate was crazy. The young tom seemed to swim quite naturally under water, paws cupped enough to capture water and hind legs moving in an efficient way. He began to twist playfully, showing off with some moves Thunderkit was sure he had made up. Stormkit shot upwards, a rainbow formed in the spray trail behind him as he flipped through the air.

Thunderkit followed Stormkit up awkwardly, still not as comfortable under the glistening waves. He stopped for a few deep breaths, eyes still following Stormkit as he shot across the surface, "Show off!" He finally managed when he had enough air in his lungs, amusement hiding his jealousy, "Are you sure you weren't born a fish?"

Stormkit let out an indigent meow and turned back to face his brother, giving Thunderkit enough time to stretch his muscles and swim over. Once they were eye to eye, Stormkit snorted, "Just because I do well at swimming doesn't mean I'm showing off. As for the fish question…" The tom fluttered his eyes innocently, "Icewing always said I had her looks!"

"And Reedwhisker's stubborn attitude!" Mossypaw's voice made the two jump, "I said _treading_ water, not inventing new water contests! What were you doing over here?" The two exchanged guilty glances, neither making a move to explain what they were doing.

"They weren't following the rules, that's what they were doing!" Hailkit stepped out from behind Mossypaw. She took a second to clean her left paw, her common move when she felt superior to her brothers. She finally looked up and continued disdainfully, "You should kick them out of the lake for today."

Both toms glared their sister down. She cowered under their sudden gazes and crept backwards. "It was Stormkit!" Thunderkit finally protested. He didn't want to be blamed for Stormkit's practical joke. He saw the dark tom give him a betrayed glance and immediately felt guilty, but continued anyways, "He pulled me down under the water!"

Instead of trying to defend himself, Stormkit shrunk. His tail drooped, his ears flattened, and his eyes narrowed to slits, but he still took a gallant step forwards, "I'm sorry Mossypaw. Thunderkit's right. It _was_ my fault." His willingness to take the blame only made Thunderkit feel worse.

Stormkit only had to take one more sad, depressed step before Thunderkit could take no more, "Wait!" He dug his paws into the sandy lake bottom and darted to Stormkit's side. He wilted under Mossypaw's incredulous gaze, but still managed to mew, "It was my fault too. If Stormkit goes, I go."

Mossypaw looked on stonily as the kits touched pelts and turned to gaze at Hailkit. The golden kit let out a long sigh and took a dainty step forwards, "I guess it wouldn't be any fun without these fish-brains. Does that mean no more swimming?"

"Not for now," Mossypaw turned her back to the lake and began padding to the shore. The three followed sullenly, reluctant to leave the water so early, "You know, you picked this punishment. I wasn't even that mad."

Thunderkit jolted and turned his eyes pleadingly to Mossypaw, even though he was still too far behind for her to see him, "Then… Can we not leave? Could you keep teaching us to swim?"

"You picked this," Two pairs of furious eyes went to Hailkit and she flattened her ears guiltily. Mossypaw didn't pick up on the kit drama behind her and continued, "Besides, you guys are exhausting and I still need to finish my apprentice duties for today."

"We could help give the elders clean moss if you teach us more," Hailkit promised eagerly, shaking her pelt as soon as she got out of the water. She bounded to the apprentice's side, "It would be a learning experience! Come on, please?"

Thunderkit snorted. Hailkit looked like a giant puffball. He fur stuck up in bizarre spikes, making her seem almost two times bigger than usual. Stormkit too had ruffled fur, but he seemed to pull it off. To Thunderkit, it had only made his fur look like the storm clouds for which he was named.

Seeing Thunderkit look over, Stormkit raised his head. His eyes were clouded, the usual light hidden deep within. He took slow steps, almost as if he were embarrassed. He let out a long sigh, "Doesn't this feel like a walk of shame? Everyone knows where we were. Everyone will look at us, the kits who were kicked out of the lake."

Thunderkit pressed his fur to his brother's comfortingly, "Kits get kicked out of everything. We're just annoying," He paused, seeing nothing but a flicker of amusement in Stormkit. He continued hurriedly, turning serious quickly, "But if you keep acting like this is a walk of shame, it will turn into one. Instead… Instead you have to walk like you own this Clan! Come on, let's walk like we're the best warrior the Clan has ever seen, warriors returning after a successful battle." He lifted his head high, held his tail with a slight curl, and took a prideful step.

Stormkit watched as Thunderkit passed and shook his head doubtfully. He mirrored his brother's actions and joined his side. Together the two padded back to the nursery, meeting any incredulous looks with a regal air.

Hailkit fell back from Mossypaw's side, looking slightly disappointed. She noticed their attitudes, the way they were strutting through the Clan. She held back an amused 'mrow' and copied their movements. Soon the siblings were padding in perfect synchronization, sharing whispers as if only they existed. As they approached the nursery, Icewing stepped out to watch her kits return. At her side were Podkit and Curlkit as well, batting at each other as they waited for their friends to arrive.

"Oo, you guys went _swimming_," Podkit teased as the littermates got into sight, "You're not supposed to do that until you're apprentices! And why are you back so early? And why are you walking like that? And-" The young kit was cut off by a paw in his side. He glared at Curlkit, but all she did was give an innocent mew.

"It's not like you never went swimming," Icewing reminded Podkit teasingly. She saw his fur bristle in surprise and she purred softly, "You two always thought we didn't notice, when really you are the two loudest kits we've had in this Clan in a long while." She gathered her kits to her side with her tail, turning her attention back to them, "So, did you enjoy it? Were you any good?" She took Hailkit in front of her and began running her tongue over the squirming kit.

"It was great," Hailkit attempted in vain to escape her mother's wrath, "If Stormkit and Thunderkit hadn't tried to show off and goof around, we would still be there!"

Through a mouthful of Hailkit's thick fur, Icewing managed to meow, "That sounds just like them What did you two do wrong this time?"

"Just a little fun, it was nothing" Stormkit ducked his head sheepishly, avoiding Podkit and Curlkit's interested gazes. He let Icewing move from Hailkit to him, cleaning his pelt with vigorous licks, "Hailkit was just exaggerating. We weren't exactly _showing off_."

"I really should have known. First time beyond the camp borders and you're already getting into trouble. You three are going to be such a pawful," Icewing shook her head and let out a faint 'mrow', "No, you know what? You already ARE a pawful. Let's just hope you can turn all that energy into something productive. Try and help the Clan for once, not just destroy it."

Stormkit burst in excitedly with his 'I'm going to be the next leader' speech, but Thunderkit was no longer listening. The group was still sitting outside the nursery, drinking in the bright sunlight of New Leaf. He could see the warriors and apprentices bustling around, going about their duties. Once in a while a cat would shoot them a knowing glance, even going so far as to mutter something to a fellow clanmate. Thunderkit was instantly curious.

"Icewing. Icewing. Icewing," Thunderkit caught his mother's twitching tail, cutting off Stormkit's 'and even ShadowClan would fear RiverClan once and for all' rant, "Why is everyone looking at us? Did we do something wrong?" His mind instantly went to him advising they act like they ruled the Clan, wondering if he were wrong in thinking it would help any.

Icewing let Stormkit go and looked around in surprise. Slowly a warm flow filled her eyes and a purr started up in the very back of her throat, "I didn't even notice that. No Thunderkit, you did nothing wrong. They're just celebrating a special time for all of you."

"Celebrating?" Hailkit squeaked, scampering closer. The littermates shared bewildered glances. From behind Icewing, Podkit and Curlkit were bouncing around with smug expressions, knowing they knew something the younger kits didn't, "Celebrating what? What kind of special time? Did Mistystar decide to make us apprentices early?"

Icewing hid her amusement under a cough, "No, Mistystar waits until kits are 6 moons old. There's no getting around that," The queen waited for the three sighs of disappointment before she continued, "They were celebrating the event that every curious kit goes through at around two moons. The first visit to the lake."

He words were first met with a stunned silence. Every cat did that? It wasn't just them? It was a coming of age event that the entire clan recognized? Finally Stormkit ventured, "So… We aren't in trouble for sneaking out?"

"Trouble? No!" Icewing let out a heavy sigh," You kits never listen to me. Sneaking out is like tradition. Swimming is what makes us who we are."

"See?!" Stormkit interrupted quickly, "Didn't I say that? I TOTALLY said that!"

Thunderkit snorted and wrapped his tail around his brother's muzzle to stop him from continuing He knew that Icewing was hinting at something, but he didn't know what it was exactly. With an embarrassed ear twitch, he asked, "And who are we?"

"You, my darlings," Icewing curled around her kits, surrounding them with warm fur and a rumbling purr, "Are now official members of RiverClan."

**A/N- Well, moving steadily along. Chapter Two might have to wait for a while, because these chapters are actually pretty long. Let me know what you think! were you expecting it to be from Thunderkit's perspective? Thank you to those who viewed and reviewed the prologue. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.**

**Feel free to leave your thoughts or musings! I'm quite open to anything. Any particular RiverClan ships I should throw in? Any information that I forgot from the books? I'd love to hear it!**


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